OAA Red Division baseball race a little cloudy entering final week
BRINGING SOME HEAT: Lake Orion's Cody Campbell and the Dragons are one of four teams that entered the week with hopes of the OAA Red Division league title. File Photo | Dan Stickradt
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
With exceptional team depth this season, the OAA Red Division race in the preseason was said to be wide open and many league coaches felt that the league race could go down to the final week.
That has turned out to be the case this season.
With every team having to play anywhere from three to six games this week, including make-ups, the picture is a little bit cloudy. Lake Orion, Rochester Stoney Creek, Clarkston and Troy Athens all entered the week with three losses and are entertaining the thoughts of sharing at least a piece of the championship pie when all is said and done.
“It’s going to be a great race. There’s a lot of very good baseball teams in this league, there always is,” said Lake Orion coach Andy Schramek, the Dragons’ head coach since 1999 who had guided his team to multiple league titles. “I thought that it might go down to the last week.”
Indeed, with rain showers wiping out multiple league games over the course of April and May, many teams will be faced to play several games this week.
“It will go down to pitching,” said Athens coach Mike Morris, whose team is seeking its first league title in the OAA Red Division this season. “We have a chance. I guess what helps us is pitching depth. We have several guys that can throw strikes. But so does Lake Orion and Clarkston.”
Stoney Creek is in the best shape, only having to play four games this week. Clarkston has five games and Lake Orion and Troy Athens have six each, having to face each other on consecutive days on Thursday and Friday.
Athens also faces Avondale on Monday and Stoney Creek Wednesday and has a non-league tournament set for Saturday, taking that day away from potential league competition.
Clarkston has its double-header with Stoney Creek Tuesday, Troy on Thursday and Lake Orion on Saturday. Troy, Rochester and Avondale have a chance to play a spoiler this week as well.
“I think it’s going to be a crazy week,” said Clarkston assistant coach John Drallos. “Everybody has a ton of games and lot of these teams have to play each other (this week). Who knows how it’s going to shape out.”
With rain expected Wednesday and Thursday, some games may have to be made up during the middle of next week — and both Lake Orion and Troy Athens have Division 1 pre-district games Tuesday. Most district semifinals and finals are set for June 4 across the state.
“We hope to get the games in,” said Rodger. “The way this spring has gone, who knows?”
Category: Auburn Hills Avondale, Clarkston, High School, High School (M-Z), Lake Orion, Oxford, Prep Wraps, Rochester, Rochester Adams, Rochester Stoney Creek, Troy, Troy Athens
